Extended Family
by DoctorAwesome1
Summary: Twenty-five years after the war and her dad was still holding the M*A*S*H 4077th reunions. Many of the adults she grew up with now donned grey hair, but there were a few who came that were her age. Sequel to Etched In Our Brains.
1. 1978

It was twenty-five years after the war's end and her dad was still holding the M*A*S*H 4077th reunions. Many of the adults she grew up with now donned grey hair, but there were a few others that came who were her age.

She was glad that she got to see her extended family every year or so. Sometimes more often in the case of a few invitations or special events. But there were a few more... unhappy cases.

One such being a few years back when her father got a letter from Colonel Potter asking them to come out to Missouri for Mildred's funeral. And unfortunately, his funeral a few years after that.

The loss of the Colonel and his wife had struck many of the others hard. Erin herself found it especially difficult, since she had always looked up to Sherman and Mildred as grandparents.

Several others had been lost along the way. Back in the reunion of '65 they got the bad news from Rizzo that Igor was gone, an accident with a drunk driver back in April.

And then when she heard the news from Aunt Margret...

But Erin learned to grieve for the family that she'd lost, and enjoy the time she has with everyone else still with her.

She had been quite excited the first time her dad asked her to help with planning the reunions. Ever since she was 14 she'd help him write and mail the letters. She even made sure to keep writing Frank, even when there wasn't a reunion.

With the twenty-fifth reunion just a month away, Erin was finding herself without the time to help her mom and dad plan everything out. Her shift at the local hospital was tight for the rest of the week, but she hoped after that she'd have the time to help them out.

Her responsibly and position as a doctor made her parents proud. BJ was a little apprehensive at first, but soon realized Erin was a strong and smart girl who could take the stress of working at a hospital. Charles was especially proud of Erin when he had heard that she got a job as head of thoracic surgery.

She was always greatful for Charles' support. After moving to Connecticut when she was eighteen in order to attend Yale, she sent a letter to the Bostonian telling him that she had made the move to New England.

Charles had gone to visit her shortly after receiving the letter, and was most pleased to find out that she moved out to New England in order to attend Yale University. Charles thought that Harvard was better any day, but he was extremely proud of her achievement.

She had recently moved back to Mill Valley after her graduation, just a year ago, in fact. Erin was very glad to see everyone else again after being absent for most of the reunions during her nine years of education.

And now that it was 1978 and she was twenty-seven, she'd be expecting another year and another reunion.

She just wished she hadn't missed so much during those nine years, or gone though some of the things that she had... the funerals were hard to bear. She supposed that was the hard part about loving so many people... you lose them someday.


	2. Mr Lonely

"Do you plan on coming with me this year?"

He looked up at his mother, who was seated across him.

"I'm not saying you have to come with me, but ever since you've moved out east, it's been quite lonely. You know your sisters aren't coming."

"Of course I'm going with you. We go together every year, don't we?"

Lorraine smiled, he was right. Molly and Jane had never gained as strong of a connection with everyone else as she and Andrew had. At least she had her son.

"Besides, Erin will be there again this year, Bill, and Si should be there. Kathy and Becky too."

"Did you hear if Jackie and Richard were coming?"

Lorraine shook her head, "No I haven't heard of them yet, but Mr. and Mrs. Pierce will hopefully be there." She smiled a teasing grin at him, "I hope us older folk don't bore you, dear."

Andrew chuckled and quickly shook his head. "Nonsense! It wasn't just the other kids I grew up with, your friends happen to be some of my closest as well."

"Well, it's nice to know you'll be accompanying me."

"I always will, mother," he said, returning his attention to the morning newspaper and his bowl of soggy cereal.

He dropped in to Illinois to visit his mother after hearing about the upcoming reunion. Living in Rhode Island wasn't as exciting as he had anticipated when he first moved out for university. Life as a lawyer was a lonely one.

He seldom ever saw or spoke to his sisters, he had but few friends that he spoke to on a daily basis. In fact, most of his life either centered around his job, or his M*A*S*H family.

He had kept in contact with Erin when she had still lived but a state away. But now that she moved back to Mill Valley a year ago, he found himself sharing fewer letters with her. Thinking of her, he instinctively reached for his brown leather wallet that was tucked in his pocket. He made sure to keep her last letter safely tucked where he could easily find it.

And he found himself missing her.

Every now and then the two would arrange to meet when their schooling didn't interfere. They'd spend the day together talking and enjoying the weather in some city that came between the path of their home states.

But now he was alone again.

He even considered moving back to Illinois with Lorraine, but he had a stable career in Rhode Island.

Andrew found himself thinking that the only sort of social life he had to look forward to was during the reunions.


	3. Going Steady

"Goodness what on Earth..."

Peg shook her head as she looked around Erin's room. She may be twenty seven, but she still had the organization skills of a teenager.

"I've had it up to here," Peg mumbled to herself, "how many times have I told that girl that if she plans on staying in this house she better keep her place from looking like-"

"The swamp?"

Peg turned around and noticed BJ looking in from behind her. She chuckled, "Yeah, probably. I have enough things to do today, and tidying up her room was not on my bucket list."

BJ shrugged. "Then don't. She's an adult, Peg, she needs to be responsible for herself."

"I know, I know. But when we have the others over I don't want the place looking like a mess."

"Alright then..." BJ replied, still thinking Peg should give Erin a lesson on responsibility rather than continuing to baby her.

Peg looked around. There was dust on the shelves, clothes piled on the floor rather than in the hamper, and books scattered practically everywhere. She coughed as she took the duster and began wiping down the shelves.

After that she folded any clean clothing and put the rest in the hamper. And finally, she collected the books and stacked them on the shelves.

But there was one book in particular she noticed. It was Erin's old journal that she and BJ had given to her nearly twenty years ago. The edges were worn and the color was faded, and she noticed a small white strip just barely sticking out from between the pages. She pulled it out, it looked like the kind of picture you'd get from a photo booth, and in blue ink was written on the back, "April 28th, 1977."

She flipped it over. She instantly regretted invading her daughters privacy, but at the same time became a little more curious, and wondered why Erin hadn't said anything about this before.

/scene/

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'll make sure to keep the place clean," Erin sighed, "mom you really didn't have to do this."

Peg shrugged and decided to bring up the photograph she found.

"Erin?"

"Hmmm?"

"I know it's not my place to get involved in your business," Peg said as she handed her the strip of photos, "but have you-"

Erin grabbed the photograph and glared at Peg. "Mom! Have you been going through my journal? You know, I think I'm entitled to some privacy considering I'm not your little girl anymore."

Peg frowned, afraid this was the response she'd get. "No, Erin. I only saw the pictures. All I wanted was to ask you if there was anything going on between you two."

Erin looked at it for a moment. There they were, in the first picture acting like clowns, and a smile, a hug, a kiss. She looked back at Peg and nodded. "Yeah."

Peg grinned, "Honey! Why didn't you tell me you were seeing Andrew!?" She watched Erin give her a shrug as she placed the picture strip on her desk. "So... when's the wedding?" She added with a joking smile.

"Mom!"


	4. Old Birds

_Three months ago..._

"Mom! Mom!"

She sighed and put down the scarf she was working on. "What is it?"

Jackie sat down on the sofa next to her and eagerly handed over the letter. "It's from the Hunnicutts!"

Margaret smiled and quickly began to tear open the letter.

Jackie walked over to the staircase and hollered, "Dad! Rich! We got mail!"

Just as Margaret had finished fishing the letter out of the envelope, Hawkeye and Richard joined them in the living room.

They all watched as Margaret put on her pair of reading glasses and began to narrate the letter:

 _To the Pierce household,_

 _As you had probably guessed, it's that time of year again. Peg and I were hoping you guys would be able to join us for this year's reunion, and so does Erin, as she'll be here since work shouldn't interfere with her schedule in the month I have planned. If it's alright with you guys and the others, we were hoping we could set the date sometime in August. More specifically, the second to last week, if that's fine with you._

 _We miss you guys and can't wait until we see you again. Tell Jackie and Richard we hope college is going well for them. And I hope you two old birds are doing good with work, but I'm sure you can't wait for retirement._

 _Love and best wishes,_

 _BJ and Peg Hunnicutt_

Margaret handed the letter over to Hawkeye. "So, old bird, what do you think?"

He chucked, "Well, I suppose I could see about asking Dr. Hanson to watch over the practice then." He glared at the letter, "Old bird? Just how ancient does Beej think I am? Fifty eight isn't _that_ old."

Margaret leaned over to give him a kiss, "Well you're the most handsome bird I've ever met."

"You realize he called you an old bird too?"

"Would you cut that out!" She exclaimed, laughing.


End file.
